I think you have the right impression, fwiw. We typically view hardship and punishment as primary concerns, rather than rehabilitation - regardless of the underlying cause. In otherwords, we like to punish for drugs, instead of treating the underlying cause for the drug use. We punish crime, rather than educating and empowering the individuals to not feel the need to commit crime acts.

With that said though, mentally ill homeless can be a challenging problem. Many of these ill "fell through the cracks", and even if a program was offered for them, they don't have the capability to seek out said program.

Mental health is a definite dark spot in America.